Deepti Zutshi, M.D., an assistant professor of Neurology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has received the Kimford J. Meador Research in Women with Epilepsy Award.

Presented by My Epilepsy Story, a national, non-profit organization that seeks to “bridge the gap for women and girls diagnosed with epilepsy,” through advocacy, research and education, the award recognizes an American Epilepsy Society member who has contributed to recent important research to advance the care of women with epilepsy. Dr. Zutshi received the award during the 73rd annual meeting of the AES in Baltimore, Dec. 6-10.

“I am sincerely grateful to My Epilepsy Story for awarding me the Kimford J. Meador Research in Women with Epilepsy Award,” said Dr. Zutshi, a resident of Troy, Mich., who joined the WSU faculty in 2013. “I had the wonderful opportunity to meet patients, researchers and clinicians with similar interests, and look forward to sharing my work in literature with help of the research grant.”

The award is named for Kimford Meador, M.D., a professor of Neurology and Neurosciences at Stanford University and clinical director of the Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Dr. Zutshi's primary clinical and research interests are in the field of epilepsy and epilepsy surgery, and electroencephalography in acutely ill patients. She is interested in women’s health and neurological disease, particularly in high-risk pregnancy and epilepsy. She received the award for her work in pregnancy outcomes in African American women with epilepsy.

“Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that has been recognized for more than 2,000 years. Great strides have been made in the development of epilepsy models and treatment of epilepsy, especially in the last 30 years,” she said. “Women with epilepsy have been a focus for my research and clinical practice due to the complexity of the nature of the disease and the impact it has on women of all years, but especially to women of childbearing years and the effect of epilepsy and treatment on children.”

Dr. Zutshi received the WSU Department of Neurology Program Director’s Teaching Award in 2016.